Tufting-machine.



No. 690,206. ,Patented Dec. 3|, |90I. J. H. 'IALGE &.`W. C. KOSS. Tur-rma mamma.v

(Application f led Aug. 4, 1898.)

/ ma mums :mais cn[, Pnrfmpmn.. msnwcnnn. D. c.

JOHN l'I. TALGE AND VILLIAM C.

PATENT OFFICE.

KOSS, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI,

ASSIGNORS TO ALFRED FRESOHL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TUFTlNc-MACHINE.

sPEcI'rIcArioN forming para of Letters Patent Ne. eeo,2o e, dated December e1, 1901.

Application filed August 4, 1898.

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that we, JOHN H. TALGE and WILLIAM C. Koss, citizens of the United States, and residents of St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Tufting-Ma-- chine, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of upholstering-machines which are designed to facilitate the manufacture and improve the qualities of tufted cushions or covers for lounges or other upholstered articles; and the objects of our invention are to provide a new and improved machine of this class iin which the pins or button-projectors are adapted to be operated in sections, each section being operative independent of the others, and to provide certain improvenientsvin the combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section of our invention, Vcut on line X X of Fig. 2. Fig'. 1fL is a perspective view of the socket-wrench. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the machine. Fig. 3 is a top plan of one section of the mold and the staple-guides secured thereto. Fig. tis a plan view of one of the various forms in which the mold-sections may be made. Fig..5 is a side elevation of the same.

Referring to Fig. 1, the base 1, side pieces 2 and 3, (having a channel 4 in their upper faces,) the reinforcing-piece 5, and the two end pieces 6 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 2) constitute a mold constructed in accordance with our invention. To the upper side of the base 1 and in line with the perforations therein is attached a series of suit- A ably-shaped pieces 7, preferably of metal,

which form partitions or division-walls for a series of cells or pockets formed in the following manner: When a number of pieces 7 are arranged with their ends lO against ends 11, as shown in Fig. 1, and sides 12 of pieces 7 are arranged against sides 13 in the same manner as the sides 10 and 11, there is formed Serial No. 687,759. (No modelj a series of cells or pockets between said pieces 7 with partitions 9. Two suitable guides 14 are pivotally attached to the partitions 9 by rivets l5. The piece 7 is so formed as to pro` vide a tube or hollow guard 16, in which moves a button-projector or pin 17, forced upwardly by the eccentric 18 on the shaft 19, rotated manually by the socket-wrench 20, applied to the square end 21 of said shaft. The pin or projector is retracted by gravity. The eccentric shafts are suitably supported on brackets 19', secured upon the under face of the mold, and are arranged to be independently p operated, whereby the corresponding row of pins may be operated independent-ly of the other rows. To the side pieces 2 is connected a follower-board consisting of slats 22,

connected by hinges 23, the free ends of the Y slats being provided with latches 24, arranged to engage hooks 24E, attached to side piece 3.

In the operation of our invention we iirst place buttons 25, with their suitably-attached staples or prongs 26, in the tubes or hollow guards 16, said buttons 25 resting upon the pins or lbutton-projectors 17 and the points of the staples 2G being arranged to project above the staple-guide 14, as shown at point ain Fig. 1. We then spread the fabric or material 27 forming the outer surface of the tufting with its finished ornamented face downward upon the described cells or pockets, after which said fabric 27 is pressed into each and every cell or pocket and over the points of staples 26 by which said fabric 27 is held in place, and the thus-formed tufts are rendered permanent by inserting into each and every tuft the requisite amount of stuffing material' 2S, after which a layer 29 of suitable stuffing material is evenly spread over all the material 28 to a sufficient depth to entirely cover the points of staples 26, after which burlap or other strong backing material 30 is evenly spread over the material 29.` The slats 22 are now successively turned on their hinges 23 to a horizontal position from the vertical position indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 and are engaged with the hooks 24a and hold the burlap pressed downward in place. The materials of the thnsformed tufting are permanently and very substantially secured together in the fol- IOO lowing manner: The staples 26 of the buttons areindependently forced upward through the fabric 27 by a one-half rotation of the eccentric 18 on the shaft 19, manually rotated by the socket-Wrench 20, after which a common metal washer 31 is passed over the points of the staples 26 and said points then clenched, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1. After all the staples are thus clenched the slats 22 are unlatched and swung backward tothe position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and the thus-finished tufting is ready for removal and direct attachment to the desired article.l

If desired, we may employ suitable guides, such as are shown at 14, which are pivoted on rivets 15, to be turned in a vertical position by the buttons 25 as said buttons pass upward between them.

IVhile We have described tubes or hollow guards 16 (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) as being formed integral with the partitions t', it is evident that they may not be made integral with these partitions, andv We therefore reserve to ourselves the right to variously modify the construction and arrangement ot' these tubes to accommodate thevarious kinds of work for which the machine is used. Forinstance, in Figs. 4 and 5 we have shown plain tubes.

The button used is an ordinary upholsterers button or tutt-button having a head and the usual prongs or staples constructed in any suitable manner.

The channels 4 in the side pieces receive the ends of the upper and lower fabrics.

While we have 'shown and described the projector 17 as being driven upward by the eccentric 1S, it is evident that any other wellknown or approved mechanism may be sub` stituted for forcing the projectors to their work, and we therefore do not wish to be restricted to 'the form of mechanism herein shown and described.

What we claim is- 1. In an upholstering apparatus, tutt-button pins arranged in independent sections.

2. In an upholstering apparatus, the combination with a mold, ot' pins arranged in independent sections, and means whereby the buttons on the pins are forced through the material in the mold.

3. In an upholstering apparatus, the combination of pins arranged in independent sections, and means for operating each section.

4. In an upholstering apparatus, the coinbination ofa moldboard having hollow guards, a follower-board having openings corresponding to said guards, and pins arranged in-independent sections separately operative.

5. In an upholstering apparatus, the combination with a mold having hollow guards Aprovided with button-guides,a followerboard having openings to register with said guards; of pins arranged in independent sections, and means to operate said sections independently. 6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a stationary supportingframe carrying the projector-tubes thereon, of the follower-board opposed to the tubes and cooperating with the supporting-frame to hold the material in its compressed condition, pins or projectors mounted to slide in said tubes, and eccentric supporting and operating mechanism for said pins whereby they may be forced through the tubes independently of the frame and follower-board.

7. In a device ofthe class described, the combination with the supporting-frame carrying the projector-tubes thereon, of the follower-board opposed to the tubes and coperating with thesupporting-frame to hold the material in its compressed condition, pins or projectors mounted to slide in said tubes and adapted in their retracted position to support the tufting-buttons within the tubes but with their staple-points projecting just above the tops of the tubes, and means for moving said pins upward to force the buttons through the material and uppermost fabric.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with the supporting-frame carrying the projector-tubes thereon, of the follower-board opposed to the tubes and coperating with the supporting-frame to hold the material in its compressed condition, pins or projectors mounted to slide in the tubes and adapted in their retracted positions to support tufting-butlons within the tubes but with their staple-points projecting just above the tops of the tubes, sta'ple-guidespivoted in the upper ends of said tubes within the path of movement of the tufting-buttons, and means for moving said pins upward to force the staples of the buttons through the material and uppermost fabric.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with thestationary supportingframe carrying the projector-tubes thereon, of the follower-board opposed to the tubes and coperating with the supporting-frame to hold the material in its compressed condition, pins or projectors mounted to slide in said tubes, and rotatable shafts mounted beneath the tubes and carrying the eccentrics upon which the pins or projectors rest and by which they are forced upward for; the purpose described. j

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN H. TALGE. WILLIAM C. KOSS. lVitnesses:

GEORGE W. HINToN, JOHN F. ARNOLD.

IOC 

